Creating a Fleet Safety Program That Sticks

When it comes to managing your fleet, nothing matters more than keeping your drivers and cargo safe. While collisions will happen, a Safety Awareness Program can help dramatically reduce their frequency and severity.

How do you create a successful Safety Awareness Program? Is your program engaging enough to help your employees retain the information? Does it encourage drivers to practice and support the safety measures being implemented?

Here are some strategies you can use to make your Safety Awareness Program a success both in the classroom and behind the wheel:

SAFETY PROGRAM BASICS

While every Safety Awareness Program may be a bit different, ensuring its success all starts with the same basic actions:

Safety programs are an ongoing process of learning, feedback, and adjustment, so don’t be discouraged if it takes time to develop something to best serve your fleet. If you’re feeling stuck or just need some direction, our partners at Travelers created a handy Roadmap to Transportation Safety Management to help you find your way. Also, their Tips for Creating a Safety Awareness Program are a great in-depth view on the subject and could be your next source of inspiration.

TIPS FOR DRIVING HOME A GREAT TRAINING PROGRAM

One aspect of Safety Awareness Programs that could always benefit from some innovation is the training program itself. Creating fresh, engaging content can often seem like a daunting task, but here are some tips for developing and conducting training sessions your drivers will actually enjoy:

Facilitate, don’t dominate. Sure, there’s a lot of information to cover, but delivering it all in one lengthy lecture is a surefire way to get your drivers to tune out. Instructors and trainers should encourage active discussion throughout their training presentations. Ask questions and wait for answers to get people talking. This keeps them engaged and, therefore, more likely to remember what they learned.

Mix it up! Lecture and discussion are great, but keeping sessions varied and well-paced keeps your audience attentive and interested. This can be as simple as using visual aids (images, video, etc.) or as advanced as setting up questions in a Jeopardy! format, creating teams, and playing a modified version of the game (you could even hand out small rewards for correct answers). These options can be scaled to the level of tech available to you—from using a simple white board or paper handouts to a more high-tech option of presentation or Gameshow Learning Software to display a digital game board programmed with your training content.

Make it accessible. Accessibility is important not only in the development of the content itself, but in how your drivers receive the information. An online learning tool (such as talentlms.com) is a great way to allow your participants to learn when and how they want. Employers can sign up for an account, upload their curriculum, and design a series of comprehension-gauging tests which the employees can access from their personal computer or mobile device. You can also track the amount of time an employee spends on the platform as well as their progress, so it’s possible to still measure their level of engagement and effectiveness of the content.

With all of these tips in mind, it’s important to remember that it’s your fleet of drivers who truly drive the success of the program. By hiring the best of the best, you’re ensuring that your Safety Awareness Program is off to a great start. At MMA, we have professionals ready to help optimize your safe driver initiatives, create a program that sticks, and keep your fleet safe. For a complimentary insurance program assessment, click the button below.